Portland Pest Control Services: (503) 254-4050

American Extermination provides Pest Control Services in Portland, OR.

Portland, Oregon is sometimes referred to as the Rose City or City of Roses, a nickname that dates back to 1888 with the first Rose Festival organized in the early 1900’s. The Rose city is as beautiful as its nickname implies and with its extensive hiking trails and paths has endless opportunities for enjoying the great outdoors.

Portland Pest Control for Rats

As with any large city, pests abound and keeping them controlled can sometimes be a challenge.  Portland, being a city with a busy shipping industry and Port has its challenges. One of these challenges is keeping the rat population controlled.  Portland’s history with keeping this pest controlled goes back to the early 1900’s when emergency steps were put in place to prevent the spread of the plague.  A wonderful article in The Atlantic written by Merilee D. Karr tells this history and how Portland stands today with this pest.  I highly recommend reading this article as it gives great insight into rat behavior and how prevention of overpopulation stops the rats from becoming aggressive and sickly.  An unlimited supply of food, water, and shelter causing rats to become aggressive and sickly create conditions that spread disease outbreaks.

How Portland Lives with, Not Against, Its Rats

Some common rat prevention tips

  • Find and remove sources for shelter, food and entrance routes.
  • Keep all trash in a sealed container. Items such as newspaper, magazines and cardboard should be regularly discarded.
  • Make sure foundation vents are in good condition, and crawlspace coverings sealed.
  • Don’t let bird seed build up in your yard and regularly pick up pet food and waste.
  • Trim plants to expose the ground under them preventing rodent harborage areas.
  • Keep firewood away from the house and plants trimmed 6 – 12 inches from the house.
  • For this pest or any pest, sanitation is the key. For more information on how to deal with this pest visit our page on Rats and Mice Control Portland page.

Portland Pest Control for Subterranean Termites

Subterranean Termites are another pest common to Portland and can cause damage to a structure that is costly to repair and sometimes difficult to detect until the damage has been done. Unlike ants, subterranean termites do eat the wood.

For more information on Termites visit our Subterranean Termites page.

Portland Pest control for Bed Bugs

This pest from the past has had a revival and its only desire is to find a host.  Infesting where the host sleeps it can reproduce quickly and become a major infestation in a short period of time.   This is one pest that you need to get on top of quickly.

For information on how to prevent this pest and what to do if you have an infestation, our Bed Bug page can help you.

Other Pest Control Services

Additional Pest Control Services for Fleas, Carpenter Ants, Cockroaches, Spiders, Ant Control, Bees, and Wasps can be found on our Common Pests page.

Portland Pest Control Services and the Environment

Over the years Portland has shown its concern for the environment instituting extensive recycling programs, a bottle return program, clean water and air policy and many other services to maintain and protect our beautiful state.  Eco-Friendliness is a way of life in Portland and we stand out from other states in this area.  At American Extermination Plus our Pest Control methods address this concern for the environment using Integrated Pest Management (IPM).  This method emphasizes prevention, sanitation, exclusion and using pesticides applied in a manner that minimizes exposure and risk to non-target areas.  IPM is an environmentally sensitive way of managing pests.  These methods may begin in the yard by placement of plants to deter or repel pests, using predators or parasites to suppress pests or barriers and traps to prevent them from entering a structure.

Research for Pest Control Services

Considerable research on product development has been done to provide information on the application of products that will not present a significant risk to people, pets or the environment.  Many products used in treating pests have been phased out and new products have been developed that focus on specific target pests. This lowers the risk to surrounding areas and limits the exposure to humans and pets. Information is included on the product label to provide the Pest Professional application information for effective product use and to prevent compromise to the environment.  Careful application to areas where pests hide or frequently travel, such as cracks and crevices or the proper placement of rodent bait boxes lessen the potential of safety issues and unnecessary exposure.

How do you know if you need Pest Control Services?

Not all pests require control some are harmless and may be beneficial.  Sometimes it is necessary to determine a pest tolerance when considering the need for pest control.  Seeing one pest in your yard may not indicate the need for pest control.  A reasonable rule of thumb would be to consider the economic or environmental threat posed by the presence of a pest.  Damage to a structure or the health of those present in the structure may be concerns.  As an example carpenter ants and termites are pests that may cause damage to the structure resulting in costly repairs, rats and cockroaches may present a health hazard.

The Pest Professionals

Training for the Pest Control Professional include techniques in safe, practical and effective pest management.  Learning laws for applying and storing pesticides, reading and following the instructions on the label and appropriate methods to apply the products safely is a large part of the training required for the Pest Control Professional.  They are required to continually maintain their certification through continued education.  After receiving training, they are required to test with the Oregon Department of Agriculture and may receive continued training through sources such as the Oregon Pest Control Association, The National Pest Control Association and through suppliers of the products they use.  These sources keep the pest control operator current on the changing state and federal regulations and new technology and practices.  When hiring a pest control professional you are receiving the benefits of their training and knowledge to apply pesticides in a manner that can minimize exposure of non-target organisms and yet be effective in controlling or eliminating a pest infestation.

Do-it-yourself?

Anyone can buy a wide variety of “off the shelf” pesticide products to control weeds, unwanted insects, and other pests with no special training required to use these products.  One of the causes of pesticide overexposure is the use of pesticides in and around the home.  Often this is due to inappropriate application, unsafe disposal of the leftover product, improper disposal of the container, or inadequate storage.  Like the professional, it is very important to read and follow the label in its entirety.  For DIY pest control and pesticide safety the EPA has a written the “Citizen’s Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety.”  Important information to know would be, identifying your pest, steps to prevent or exclude that pest, and what products are best to use for your situation.  This is a great resource for that information.  Our Common Pest page also has more information on pests and helpful tips.

Another site with information on Pest control and pesticide safety is the National Pesticide Information Center.

If you live in any of these areas, please call us at (503) 254-4050 in Portland  to request your free pest inspection.  We are your local pest control specialists and pledge to be thorough,  consistent and reliable.  That’s just how we do business.